The One That Got Away
by A.G. Hart
Summary: Grissom finds a daughter he never knew, but he's not the only one who finds her. Grissomcentric. Chapter 12 is here and the end. Rating is T. Mild language, adult situations
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Sorry for all the re-edits. It's my first fan fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the shows Characters. Surprise, Surprise!

The One That Got Away

Chapter 1

The woman walked into the Las Vegas crime lab. She was dressed in khakis, a button-down shirt and a baseball cap pulled low on her forehead. Her light brown hair was pulled in a ponytail through the back of the cap. She held a letter in her shaky hands.

_All I need is to get this in his hands,_ she thought to herself, as she walked to the main desk nervously switching the letter from hand to hand.

"I have a letter for Gil Grissom," she said to the woman sitting behind the desk.

"I can take it and see that he gets it," the woman behind the desk replied, reaching for it.

"My orders are to hand it to him directly," the young woman answered, starting to lose her nerve. "I can't leave it with anyone else." _Maybe this isn't such a good idea._

The woman behind the desk gave her a wry grin, "Let me see if he's available." She turned and dialed an extension on the phone, saying something barely audible into the receiver. After apparently receiving an answer, she turned back to the other woman. "He'll be right out."

"Thank you," the brown-haired woman feigned a smile. Her heart beat so loud in her chest, she was sure the woman behind the desk could hear it. And then she saw him. Her heart stopped. _You can do this._

"I'm Gil Grissom," the graying gentleman said to her as he approached. "You have something for me?"

The brown-haired woman was speechless. She quickly slid the letter out of her left hand with her right, cutting her hand in the process. "Oh shoot!" she gasped, leaving a bloody mark on the envelope. "I'm so sorry!"

"Accidents will happen," Grissom replied, as he looked down to grab the envelope, careful not to touch the blood. As soon as he grasped it he looked up, and the young woman was already walking away. "Don't I need to sign something?"

The young woman simply waved her hand, dismissing his question. Picking up her pace to almost a jog. _Must…get…out, _she thought and quickly disappeared down the hall.

_That was strange, _Grissom thought as he looked at the envelope and then back down the hall where the young woman once was. The envelope was a standard, plain white envelope. There were no markings on it, not even his name.

He walked back to his office, tossing the envelope on his desk. He sat down, rummaging through a drawer, trying to find his letter opener. _Here it is,_ he thought, holding it up. Slowly he slid it across the lip, careful to still not touch the blood. He pulled out a multi-paged letter and began to read the first page:

_Mr. Grissom,_

_I found this letter in my mother's things and thought it best to give it to you, as you were its intended recipient._

Behind the first page, he found another letter. This one was on paper that had yellowed with age. The creases were almost ingrained in the paper. It was apparent the letter had been in the folded position for a very long time. And the handwriting was different than that on the first page. He read on:

_My dearest Gil,_

The first line surprised him. It also intrigued him. No one had called him "dearest" in a very long time.

I hope this letter finds you well. I know it has been a long time since you have heard from me. You must believe me, that was not of my own doing! My mother has been monitoring my communications since I got back from L.A. And I suppose she has her reasons, but it still is not fair!

_What I'm about to say next is going to come as such a surprise, but I hope a good surprise. I'm pregnant…_

Grissom's heart stopped for a brief moment. _Who is this letter from?_ He thought, looking for the signature at the bottom. It read: _Olivia._

_Olivia? _ He was shocked. He hadn't heard from Olivia in almost 27 years, not since the summer they spent together in L.A. He continued to read, more curious then ever.

I'm pregnant. In fact, I'm due in just a few short days. It will be a great relief when little Alexandria is born. The pregnancy has not gone well for me. I have been quite sick the entire time—the main reason I have not been able to contact you. I have not had the strength to argue with Mother. She is so angry I will not tell her your name! I do not wish to bring her wrath down upon you. However, after the baby is born, I will make my way back to L.A. to find you so that you may meet your daughter. At that time, I hope you will be as happy to see me, as I will be to see you.

_Until that time, know that you are in my thoughts and in my heart,_

_All my love,_

_Olivia_

He set the letter down, at first not noticing the last page. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes for a moment. _A daughter? Why haven't I gotten this letter before today? _ Just then he notice the last page. It was written in the same handwriting as the first.

Mr. Grissom 

I'm sorry that you have not seen this letter before today. It was written the day I was born. Unfortunately my mother, Olivia, died during childbirth.

Grissom stopped. He let out a deep breath, not realizing he had been holding it in and then continued.

I only found this letter myself about eight months ago. My grandmother, who raised me, died and I inherited all of her stuff, which included some of my mother's things. Deep in the box of my mother's things, I found this letter. And then I did my best to find you.

_I know this is all hard to take. I hope the blood sample I left is enough for you to do a paternity test on, if you feel it necessary. My contact numbers are below. Give me a call if you would like to meet._

_A blood sample? _He thought. Then he realized, _the envelope! I just met my daughter!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_I finally did it! _She shouted in her mind, jogging down the steps of the building, raising her fists over her head in triumph. Then, remembering she was in public, she slowly put them down, looking around sheepishly. _Now all I have to do is wait and hope he calls._

Grissom pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk and found a small plastic bag. He carefully placed the envelope inside. He wanted to make sure it didn't get any more contaminated that it might already be. _Damn right I want a DNA test._ He headed to the lab. _And maybe a fingerprint or two, as well._

After getting a blood sample from the envelope, he started the process for getting the DNA profile, vaguely remembering chastising Catherine for the same thing he was about to do. _It's different, _he reasoned, _this girl isn't suspected of a crime…yet._

While he waited, he dusted the envelope for a possibly usable fingerprint to run through NCIC. _This girl could be telling the truth, _he thought, but the skeptic in him wanted proof. As he dusted he thought back to the first time he had met Olivia.

_It was a hot L.A. summer night. Grissom, younger, had just gotten off of work at the morgue and was headed home. He stopped at a bar to grab a beer after a grueling day piecing together death. All he wanted was a brief distraction._

Just as he was about to take his first drink, a beautiful young woman sat down on the stool next to his. Her long, dark hair fell to the middle of her back. She had on jeans and a peasant shirt.

"_Is this seat taken?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling. _

_He just shook his head, wanting to be left alone._

_Undeterred, she sat down on the stool and faced him. "I'm Olivia," she volunteered, sticking out her hand for Grissom to shake._

_He turned to look at her, observing her for the first time. "I'm Gil," he replied, surprised a girl like her was even talking to him. In high school, a girl like her wouldn't have given him a second glance._

"Nice to meet you, Gil," she smiled.

_That's how it all began,_ Grissom thought to himself.

He looked down at the envelope and saw the powder had revealed a couple of perfect fingerprints in the middle of the envelope. _Too perfect, _he thought to himself. It looked as if they were purposefully placed there. He was beginning to believe this girl was his daughter—She definitely knew some basic forensics, and, apparently, his m.o.

He scanned the fingerprint into the computer and began the NCIC search. Again, his mind started drifting back to Olivia.

He remembered the softness of her hair, the lightness of her touch. He remembered the feeling of butterflies in his stomach the first time they kissed and the terror the first time they made love. _But it wasn't the bad type of terror, _he mused. _It was the kind of terror you get before doing something exhilarating, like the climb of the first hill on your favorite roller coaster. _They had spent all his free time together that summer.

She was there on vacation in between college semesters. She was looking for a little excitement, but Grissom could never figure out why she saw it in him. She was intelligent and longed to be a writer. In fact, he still had the poem she had written about him, but he hadn't thought about it in 26 years. She brought a new perspective to his world of science and fact. She was the unknown and it intrigued him.

As the summer ended, she left to go back east, vowing she would write every day, that she would return. But, he only saw her for a moment that last day. He had been called to an emergency at work. She gave him one last kiss and got into the cab to go to the airport. He never saw her again.

He checked the mail every day, but the letters never came. And each day, another brick was added back to the wall she had broken down. Finally after a few months of silence he wrote her a letter, but it was returned for an invalid address. The final brick was placed and he picked his books back up, never looking back.

The computer beeped, bring Grissom back to the present. There was a match.

Special Agent Alexandria Gillian Hart. Assigned to: Las Vegas Federal Bureau of Investigations 

_An FBI agent?_ Grissom pondered. Just then, he heard another beep. It was time to finish the DNA profile.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She pulled off the baseball cap as she jogged to her car. Once inside she sat for a moment in silence. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She'd been near him before, but he'd never seen her. She wondered if he might have had a glimmer of recognition, but quickly shook that thought off. _He didn't really _see_ me. That was the plan._ Just then, her cell phone rang. She recognized the number; it was work.

"Special Agent Hart," she answered.

"We need you to come in," the voice on the other end said.

"But I'm on vacation for the next week," she replied.

"Take vacation some other time. Your expertise is required here." It was more of a command than a request.

"Give me a couple hours, I'm not at home," she said and then hung up, not waiting for a reply. _I guess sitting at home waiting for him to call will just have to wait, _she thought as she started up her car and headed for home.

Grissom sat at his desk, staring at the DNA profile. Having memorized his own, it was simply a matter of finding the common alleles. _One…two…three…_

"Grissom," Catherine said, standing in the doorway. He didn't move. "Earth to Grissom."

Slightly startled, he looked up. "Catherine, what can I do for you?"

"What are you looking at?" she asked, ignoring his question.

He hesitated. "Just…a DNA profile."

"Did we catch a bad guy?" Catherine grinned.

"It's not for a case," Grissom replied. He wanted to tell her, to tell someone. Seven alleles, Alexandria was his daughter. But he couldn't, not yet. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh yeah," Catherine replied. "I needed to ask you about the Taylor case…." But Grissom wasn't really listening. He was trying to figure out what to do now.

For the next couple days, every time her phone rang her heart jumped. She kept hoping he would call. And every time it wasn't him, her hope faded a little bit. _He'll call, _she assured herself. _He'll call._

As the days passed, Grissom grew less and less sure of what he should do. Dead bodies he could handle, women he could not. And a daughter? That was one thing he had never even thought about.

"Catherine," he called, as she walked by his office. She was probably the most trustworthy of all the Las Vegas CSIs. _She should be able to give me some advice. She's been on the daughter's end of this, _he thought, remembering her search for her father and its eventually end at Sam Braun.

"What's up, Gris?" she responded, popping into his office.

"I need an experienced perspective on a personal matter," he said, motioning for her to shut the door.

She raised an eyebrow, "Sure, anything I can do to help." _This is odd. Grissom rarely talks about anything personal._

"Remember the letter I go the other day?"

"The one the girl accidentally got blood on?" she questioned.

"Well, it wasn't so accidental," Grissom replied. Catherine cocked her head in question. "It was left as a sample."

"A sample for what?" she didn't know where this was going.

"To prove what the letter said." Grissom paused. "I have a daughter."

"A daughter? How? Who? When?" Catherine was flabbergasted. "What do you know about her?"

Grissom scanned his desk and picked up the print out from NCIC. He handed it to Catherine. "She's an FBI agent assigned to the Las Vegas office."

"Wow, she is beautiful…and smart!" She exclaimed reading the print out.

"She looks like her mother," Grissom stated.

"Who was her mother?" Catherine asked, not knowing if he'd be willing to answer.

"A woman I spent a summer with," he replied.

Catherine saw something in his eyes, "Ohhh, the one that got away."

"The one that got away?" Grissom wasn't following.

"You know," she explained. "The _One._"

Grissom slowly nodded. He understood…and agreed.

"Have you talked to," Catherine scanned the sheet looking for the girl's name, "Alexandria?"

"No, I haven't talked to her. She's an adult. She's lived her entire life until this point without me. What would I say?"

"You need to talk to her," Catherine said, more of a command than a suggestion. "You may have missed out on her life until this point, but don't you want to be a part of it from here on out? She's reached out to you, she wants you to be in her life."

"Should I just," he started.

"Call her," she finished.

He picked up the phone and dialed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She was sitting on the couch, trying to concentrate on the book she was reading. But her mind kept wandering to him—Her father. She didn't understand why this consumed her the way it did. She had lived her entire life up until about eight months ago without a father, without even thinking she had a father out there. After all, she had grown up believing her father was dead. Why should it matter that she had one now?

The phone rang, jolting her back to reality. _Maybe it's him,_ she thought, seeing that the number on caller ID was one she didn't recognize.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hi, This is Gil Grissom. Is this Alexandria?" he said, not sure of what else to say.

Her heart stopped. She had so much she wanted to say. She had been planning this conversation for the last six months, ever since she formed her plan. She wanted to tell him about her life. She wanted to ask him about her mother. Did he ever suspect he had a daughter? But nothing came out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he questioned.

"Y-y-yes, I'm here. This is Alex," she finally got her mouth to work. "I'm so glad you called."

There was an awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Words just didn't seem to be enough. Finally, Alex started, "I guess you found my clues."

"Yes, they were well placed," Grissom was still at a loss for words. "Do you do forensics with the FBI?"

"Ahhh," Alex smiled to herself. "You did find both of them. I'm in forensics of sorts, but not like you." Her excitement over came her and suddenly she realized this was now how she wanted to start her possible relationship with her father. "Listen, I don't really want to do this over the phone. Are you free for lunch or dinner sometime in the next couple days?"

Grissom was hesitant, but his curiosity got the best of him, "How about lunch tomorrow at the diner over on Decatur? Say around one?"

"Sounds great," she smiled again. She actually knew the diner quite well. She had been a couple of booths down from him more than once in the last three months at that exact cafe. She'd been following him around on her days off, trying to find the opportunity—and courage—to talk to him, but neither the opportunity nor courage presented itself. "See you then."

"Ok, see you then," Grissom hung up.

Alex got up and danced around her living room. She hadn't felt this type of happiness for a long time. _Don't get your hopes up, _she told herself. _Lunch is a good step, but it doesn't mean he's going to want anything else to do with you. He's probably just curious._

Grissom placed the phone in the cradle. Catherine had excused herself and so Grissom was alone in his office. For the first time he smiled at the thought of having a daughter, then quickly furrowed his brow wondering what she might want from him. He doubted it was money. She was an agent with the FBI. Maybe it was acceptance? Love? A family? Would he be able to give her any of those?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Alex got to the diner around quarter till. She tried her best not to be too early. _Fifteen minutes isn't so early,_ she reassured herself as she sat down at an out of the way booth.

She hadn't slept much since the call. She'd been too excited and nervous. And bothered. It bothered her that this meant so much to her.

She had lived a good life. She was raised by her grandmother in a middle class neighborhood. She had always done well in school, graduating at the top of both her high school and college classes. Maybe she had lacked some friends and social events, but it was nothing she had really missed. But now, after her grandmother's death left her alone, maybe it was the idea of family that excited her. She wasn't sure, she just knew she had to meet him, talk to him, even if it was only this one time.

A waitress came by and set down a menu, "Can I get you anything while you look over the menu?"

"I'll take a diet soda and another menu," she said, smiling to herself, "I'm waiting for someone."

Grissom hadn't slept much either that night. To say that he was nervous would be a misunderstanding of who he was. Unprepared would better describe the way he felt and he hated being unprepared.

He had become more accustomed to the idea of having a daughter. It had taken him some deep reflection, but the idea of her was starting to sink in. He had thought about talking to some of his friends at the Bureau to find out more about Alexandria, but decided he wanted to hear about her from her.

He had just stepped out of his apartment and locked the door when his cell phone rang. It was work.

"Grissom," he answered, a little surprised at the annoyance in his voice.

"Grissom," it was Ecklie. "Your presence has been requested at a crime scene." It was not a request.

"I have a meeting," Grissom replied.

"Cancel it. The mayor's niece was found murdered at Potosi and there are some crawling clues that require your expertise. _And_ the mayor requested you personally."

Grissom looked at his watch, "I'll be there in half an hour." He hung up. _I'll call her on the way._

As he drove he realized he didn't have her number in his cell. He decided to call directory assistance and get the number for the diner.

Alex couldn't help but be fidgety. She kept checking her watch, then staring blankly at the menu. It didn't really matter, she wasn't hungry. She just kept going over in her head what she wanted to say to him.

At one, the bell over the door rang, signaling someone entered. She looked up, it wasn't him. _ He'll be here._

At one-fifteen she reached for her cell phone to try and call him, but realized she didn't have his number. _I'm sure he's on his way._

At one-thirty the waitress came by for the fifth time. "Are you ready to order yet, hon?" She was more than slightly annoyed.

Alex looked at her watch, then at the waitress and then down to her purse. She reached in, grabbed a five and handed it to the waitress. "I guess I won't be ordering. Sorry to waste your time," she choked out. Then she got up and left.

_I'm sure something came up, _she tried to console herself as she walked back to her car. _I know there's a good reason—at least I hope there is._

Grissom looked at his watch. _Damn!_ It was already two. On the way to the crime scene, Catherine had called to give him some preliminaries. She was the primary on this case. Once he got to the scene, he was all business. _I'll just have to call her later, _he thought as he gathered another bug into a jar.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A few hours later Grissom was back in his office. He was searching his bookshelf. When he found the one he was looking for, he tossed it onto his desk, knocking off some papers. He knelt down to pick up the papers and noticed the sheet on Alexandria. He looked at his watch again, _I need to call her._

Greg was just about to knock on Grissom's door when he saw him dialing. Greg stood just outside the door; he had a question he had to ask.

The phone ran four times and an answering machine picked up, "Hi, you've reach Alex. I can't come to the phone right now, you know what to do." The machine beeped.

Grissom hesitated for a moment, then started "Alexandria, this is Gil Grissom…."

Greg heard the name Alexandria and started to listen closer. _Looks like Grissom has a girlfriend._

"I'm sorry I missed lunch. I got called to a case." Grissom stopped. "Oh, Alexandria you are home…No, no, I would still like to meet…No, that won't work. I'm going to be busy with the case for a couple days. Maybe we can meet next week? Tuesday is my scheduled day off…Ok, same time, same place? I'll be there." He hung up.

Greg was intrigued after hearing this one-sided conversation and snuck away to see if anyone else might know anything about this interesting development.

Alex was disappointed to say the least and just a little bit heart broken. She had been looking forward to meeting Grissom for almost six months now. She felt like a teenager who was stood up for the prom, and, actually having been stood up for the prom, she knew the feeling quite well.

She hadn't been the most popular girl at school. She was more interested in studying and her job as a bookkeeper for a local grocer. The owner was a friend of her grandmother. She had an odd fascination with credits and debits. Maybe it was because her grandmother also told her to watch every penny. And the one thing Alex could do was watch every penny. That's why studying accounting in college came natural to her.

She was sitting on the couch, reading her mom's diary when the phone rang. She was engrossed in a passage her mother had written about Grissom when she heard the beep of the answering machine and then his voice.

"Alexandria this is Gil Grissom." Alex jumped up; the phone wasn't on the cradle. _Where is it?_ She continued to search. "I'm sorry I missed lunch. I got called to a case."

_Bingo! _She had found the phone. "Mr. Grissom, this is Alex."

"Oh, Alexandria you are home." He wasn't expecting her to pick up.

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't pick up sooner, I couldn't find the phone. I'm so glad you called. I was afraid you didn't want to meet me." She was probing, seeing if he was still interested or just being polite.

"No, no, I would still like to meet."

_Yes!_ Alex thought. "Ok, tomorrow maybe?"

"No, that won't work. I'm going to be busy with the case for a couple days. Maybe we can meet next week?"

"Ok, is there any particular day that's good for you? I'm on vacation for the next week or so."

"Tuesday is my scheduled day off."

"Tuesday is great," she smiled. _All hope is not lost!_

"Ok, same time, same place?

"That's fine with me. You actually going to show this time?" She asked, half jokingly.

"I'll be there." Grissom hung up.

_Don't count your chickens before they're hatched,_ Alex told herself, trying not to get too excited.

Greg walked into the Las Vegas crime lab break room. Nick and Warrick were sitting at one of the tables, playing a game of cards.

"Do either of you know anything about Grissom's new girlfriend?" Greg asked not wanting to be left out of the loop for any longer than he had to be.

"A girlfriend?" Nick seemed surprised.

"Grissom?" Warrick was just as mystified.

"Yeah," Greg started, finally glad to know something before the rest of the lab. "I heard him on the phone with some chick named Alexandria. They have lunch planned for next week."

"Don't know anything about it," Warrick replied and went back to playing cards with Nick.

Greg left disappointed. He'd hoped they would take the bait, but little did he know, someone in that room did.

Sara was sitting in the far corner of the room, obscured by a vending machine. She was sure none of the other three even saw her. After hearing their conversation, she was very disconcerted. _Just another person I'm going to compare myself to for the rest of my life,_ she silently sighed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As the days passed while waiting for Tuesday, Alex started to grow skeptical about meeting Gil Grissom. _I have too much invested in this already, _she thought, shaking her head at herself. Alex had always been an independent person and now her dependency on meeting this man made her uncomfortable.

Alex's grandmother Elizabeth was the only family she'd ever known. She was raised the only child of an only child. She had no aunts, uncles, or cousins and her grandmother was long estranged from the rest of the family. Alex never knew why, her grandmother just didn't talk about it. And Alex didn't even begin to know how to find any of them.

Elizabeth had always pushed Alex to be the best. Alex was sure her grandmother loved her, but there was a hardness about her love. Alex was never sure if it was that Elizabeth blamed her Olivia's death, if Elizabeth was punishing her for Olivia's mistakes, or if it was just the way she was. Whatever the reason, it was the push that Alex needed to finish high school—and college—a year early.

The thought had crossed Alex's mind that maybe it was all of this that made her desire a relationship with Grissom. Maybe it would help her find the family she had never known growing up. _Or maybe,_ she thought, _he'll never speak to me again after lunch._

It was late one night or early one morning, depending on how you look at it, when Grissom couldn't sleep. He remembered a picture he had of Olivia that he hadn't seen in over twenty years and he just had to find it.

He grabbed a box out of his storage closet and set it down on his table. As he was sifting through the box, his hand felt a small box. _I didn't know I still had that,_ he thought, pulling out the box. He opened it up and looked inside. _Yup, just what I thought it was. _

He placed it to the side, not knowing what to do with it yet. It was such a little box, but brought up such a big emotion. He remembered the day he bought it. He remembered the excitement, the uncertainty of the emotion behind it. The disappointment when he never got to give it to her. _Maybe I'll give it to Alexandria. What else am I going to do with it?_

Grissom was in the lab consumed with documenting the life stages of the insect he had found when Sara asked about a file.

"It's on my desk," Grissom said, giving her permission to search his desk for it, forgetting the file on Alexandria was still on his desk.

"Ok, I'll find it," Sara answered, heading towards Grissom's office.

Sara got to Grissom's office and starting searching his desk for the file. After turning over and shuffling a couple pieces of paper she found it—the file on Alex.

_Whoa,_ she thought, reading the sheet. _Majored in Finance with an Emphasis in Accounting and Biology at the College of William and Mary in Virginia…Graduated top of her class. Joined the Bureau shortly thereafter. Damn, I knew I should've joined the Bureau, _she chastised herself, hitting the desk for emphasis.

_Ow! What did I hit?_ She said, moving a couple more pieces of paper to see the hard object she hit that was definitely not the desk. It was a small, white box. _Oh god,_ she thought, realizing what it was.

She opened the box and her fears were only reaffirmed, a ring box. She opened up the box and was crushed. Inside was a ring, a diamond ring. It was a simple gold band with a single small diamond. _He's…he's going to ask her to…_

"Did you find that file?" Grissom asked, still looking down at a report in his hands. Sara was still frozen from the shock of finding the ring.

"Sara?" Grissom looked up.

"I-I was just looking for the…" Sara stammered, still holding the ring.

"It's not what it looks like," Grissom started to explain. "Not that it's any of your business." He walked over to the desk and took the ring from Sara, then noticed the file on Alex sitting right in front of her. He was caught between being angry and not wanting to hurt Sara.

"It's really _isn't_ any of my business," Sara said, standing up. "Here's the file I was looking for," She said, grabbing a file from the desk and heading for the door.

"Sara," he was concerned.

She was just about to the door, but quickly turned back to face him. "Grissom, you don't have to explain. You don't owe me anything," and she left.

_You don't owe me anything but the time I've wasted pining after you,_ she thought, fighting back her emotions.

Grissom just stood there holding the ring, watching her leave. He wasn't sure what to say so he didn't say anything.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Grissom was still standing, holding the ring when Catherine walked in.

"What's up with Sara? She nearly plowed into me," Catherine said. Then she noticed the ring in his hand and knew what Sara's deal was. "What's that?"

"It's a ring," Grissom stated matter-of-factly.

"It looks like an engagement ring," she replied.

"It was," he said. "Now it's just a ring."

"Who is—was it for? Olivia?" Catherine asked.

Grissom nodded. "But I never got to give it to her. I was going to propose the day she left, but I got called into work. In the rush of getting her off to the airport and getting to work, I forgot. And then I never heard from her again."

Catherine was stunned. She couldn't imagine Grissom every getting married, so to hear that he was going to propose to a woman he had only know for a few months was a total shock. "She must have been one heck of a woman," Catherine finally got out.

Grissom shrugged. "I was young and impetuous. She was beautiful and infectious."

"What made you get the ring out now?"

"I thought I'd give it to Alexandria. It would have been hers eventually anyway." Grissom placed the ring back in the box. "Was there something you needed?"

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Alex was growing anxious as the days passed. She decided she really needed to get out of her apartment or she was going to go crazy. _I think I have some clubbing clothes somewhere, _she thought, as she headed for her closet.

She found a pair of leather pants she hadn't even remembered she owned. _They still fit,_ she was amazed. _Now if only I could find the right shirt. _

She searched through her closet and finally decided on a deep red shirt with cap sleeves and a modest collar. She knew she didn't want to wear heels; she hadn't in a long time. After a little more searching, she found her calf-height boots.

She pulled her hair back in a half ponytail so it wouldn't get into her eyes. _Not too shabby,_ she thought, looking at herself in the mirror.

When she got to the club, the music was a little louder than she remembered. Of course, she hadn't been to a club since college. The people all looked the same, maybe a little bit younger than what she remembered. Still, she found the pulsing of the lights and the thumping of the music to be just the distraction she was seeking.

Out on the dance floor, she became one with the sea of gyrating bodies. She was lost in the beat when someone bumped into her.

"Ow!" she howled, rubbing her shoulder and turning to see who it was.

"Sorry!" the attractive guy apologized. He was tall, thin, with spiky blonde hair and beautiful eyes.

_Not bad, _she thought. "You can make it up to me by buying me a drink," she smiled, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the bar. He started to hesitate. "Unless your girlfriend would mind," she added, giving him a way out.

"No, no girlfriend," he replied and started to follow her to the bar.

"I'm Alex," she semi-shouted over the music, waiting on her drink.

"Greg," he replied.

"Nice to meet you Greg," she said, stretching out her hand for him to shake.

"You here by yourself?" he asked, shaking her hand.

"Yes," she answered. "Just needed a distraction and couldn't find anyone to come with me."

"What?" he said, her voice was barely audible over the loud music.

She moved closer to him. _Mmm, he smells good, _she thought. He bent his head down so he could hear her better. "Yes, here by myself," she repeated.

"Well then," he smiled, holding out his arm. "Shall we dance?"

Alex smiled and nodded, looping her arm through his. _Looks like it's not going to be such a bad night._

Back on the dance floor, Greg couldn't believe his luck. He was having a great time. _This girl is gorgeous! Nick and Warrick are NOT going to believe this._

As the night drew on, the pair didn't share much personal information. The conversation was kept light on purpose by Alex. She hated revealing too much too soon. A lot of guys were put off by her position and she really wanted to get to know this guy more.

When they decided to call it a night, they exchanged numbers.

"I had a really great time," she said as they walked outside the club. "You'd better call!" She poked him playfully in the chest.

"I'll do my best," he said, teasing her.

"Your best, aye?" She said, raising an eyebrow, poking him again.

He just smiled in reply. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Then he kissed her.

She was taken by surprise, but it was a good surprise. It was a soft, sweet kiss and a welcome oasis in the desert she called her love life.

She pulled away and grinned. "Now you'd _really _better call me."

"You can count on it," he assured her and they parted ways.

_Great,_ she thought as she got in her car to go home. _Now I can go crazy waiting for two guys to call me._ Then she smiled to herself, remembering the kiss. _But both well worth it._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

As she drove home, Alex realized that she was famished. She decided to stop at one of the 24-hour cafes that littered Las Vegas. She had just ordered when her cell phone rang.

She smiled; it was Greg. "I didn't expect to hear from you so soon," Alex answered.

"I didn't expect to call so soon, but the situation has required it," he replied.

Confused she said, "What do you mean?"

"Look towards the door," he told her.

She looked up and saw him standing at the doorway. She smiled. "What are you doing here?" but she hung up before he could answer.

She playfully pointed at him and mouth the word "you." He feigned shock, placing his hands on his chest and mouthed the question "Me?" She motioned for him to come.

"Are you stalking me?" She chided as he got to the table.

"Of course I am!" he responded. "Great minds think alike."

"Great stomachs, too," she laughed. He chuckled too. _Oh no, _she thought_, he likes my corny jokes! _

They ordered some food and shared some more laughs. Alex knew they couldn't avoid certain topics and sure enough, they came up.

"So, what do you do?" Greg inquired.

"You have to promise not to laugh and promise you'll still like me," she said sheepishly.

"I promise!" Greg said. _There's not much you could say that would make me not like you,_ he thought. "Cross my heart."

"I'm a forensic accountant with the FBI," She mumbled quietly.

"A forensic accountant?" Greg was surprised. "That's awesome!"

Now it was Alex's turn to be surprised. "Really? You don't find it totally geeky or intimidating?"

"Intimidating, no. Geeky, yes. But I like geeky. Plus, I'm a geek myself. I work for the Las Vegas Crime lab as a CSI." Greg responded.

_I knew this was too good to be true,_ she thought to herself. _ He works with Grissom. In fact, Grissom is probably his supervisor. This cannot be good. _She instinctively frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the sudden change in her facial expression.

"Sorry, got a bad taste in my mouth," she lied. "It's nothing." She smiled again. She decided she wasn't going to let this new information stop her from at least making a new friend. She wasn't even sure if Grissom would want anything to do with her after they met, so why should she let him stop her from Greg? Besides, she wasn't sure where things were going with Greg either.

"So, how did you get into crime scene work?" She asked, continuing their conversation.

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As Alex and Greg had begun their evening many hours earlier, the night shift of the CSI crime lab was just starting work.

Grissom was sitting in his office, when Sara walked by. He called out to her, but she didn't stop. He walked to the doorway and called after her. "Sara, can I see you in my office?"

She turned to face him, "Is that an order from my supervisor or a request from my friend?"

"A request from your friend," he replied.

"Then I decline, I have work to do," she started to walk away.

"Fine, then it's an order from your supervisor," Grissom said.

Sara turned back around, looking annoyed. She rolled her eyes and went into Grissom's office.

"I wanted to explain about the other day," Grissom started.

"It's alright," she was irritated. "Like I said before, you don't owe me—"

"Sara," Grissom interrupted. "Let me speak. You deserve an explanation."

This somewhat pacified Sara. At least he thought enough of her that she _deserved_ an explanation.

Grissom continued, "I know what you must have concluded from the evidence that you found, but sometimes evidence can be deceiving.

"Alexandria is not my girlfriend and there is no way I would ever propose to her. She's my daughter."

Sara had much the same reaction Catherine did; she was shocked. She knew she must have misheard him and responded with the only logical thing she could make out of his sentence. "Alexandria had your daughter?"

"No, Sara," Grissom correct, "Alexandria _is_ my daughter."

Sara was speechless. She sat there, her mouth hanging open. "Grissom, I'm so sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion. Does anyone else know? How come you've never mentioned her?"

"No apology needed. We are trained to follow the evidence, Sara, and that is what you did," Grissom responded. "I've never mentioned her because I only found out recently myself. And yes, Catherine knows. I'd like to keep this at you two for now."

"Ok," Sara nodded and got up to leave. She understood that Grissom was a private person. This information was need-to-know only. _At least he thinks I need to know, if only by default,_ she thought, feeling some relief knowing there wasn't someone else, at least not for now.

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Bright sunlight streamed thru the window as Alex slowly opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing and she felt like crap. _I must have had more to drink than I realized,_ she thought as she rolled over looking for the alarm clock. She spotted it on her left and squinted to see the time. It was eleven a.m.

That's when she realized something wasn't right. Her alarm clock was on the right side of her bed not the left and the sunlight was all wrong. Her bedroom window faced west, not east. There shouldn't be that much light if the clock was right. _Oh shit! Where am I?_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Greg had been trying to listen for Alex while picking up his apartment. Luckily she was so tired last night, she hadn't noticed the mess. He finally heard her moving around about eleven a.m.

"Alex?" He called out. "You awake?"

Alex was startled at hearing a man's voice, but at least it was one she recognized. "Yeah, I'm awake," she answered back, still groggy.

Greg stood at the bedroom door, "Is it ok if I come in?"

She took stock of herself. _Shirt? Check. Pants? Check. _She was relieved she was still fully dressed. The only things missing were her boots. "Yes, it's ok."

He opened the door and came in. She thought he looked adorable in his t-shirt and shorts. "Is there anything I can get for you?" he asked.

"Some aspirin would be nice," she said. "But first, what happened?"

"It was such a magical night! You don't remember?" he feigned hurt, then smirked.

She furrowed her brow, looking concerned. "What!"

He was still grinning. "There was some dancing and then some dining. Then you came home with me and…" he paused, watching her expression become troubled. "Nothing happened. You were looking pretty beat after the café and so I offered to drive you home. As soon as you sat down in my car you fell asleep. I didn't know where you lived and didn't feel right going through your purse, so I brought you back to my place. I let you have the bed, I took the couch."

She was touched. He'd been an honorable gentleman and hadn't tried to take advantage of the situation. "Thank you," was all she could manage to say. "So nothing happened?" She asked, just wanting to be sure.

"Nothing happened," Greg assured her.

"Thank goodness!" she exclaimed, a little to enthusiastically.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, Greg," she said, suddenly realizing how she must have sounded. She motioned for him to sit next to her on the bed. When he obliged, she continued, "I didn't mean you. I think you're great. I just meant I'm not the type of girl who goes to bed with a guy on the first date." _And I don't have many second dates, _she thought. "And I would hope, if we did do something like that, I'd remember."

"I'd hope you'd remember too," Greg replied.

"I'll take that aspirin now."

It was almost two by the time she left. She had stayed at Greg's for a little while, trying to shake off some of her grogginess. She didn't want to drive home with her splitting headache.

When she did finally make it home, she took a quick shower and then went to bed. _I think I'll set the alarm for eight, _she thought. _Tomorrow morning! _She laid down and drifted off to sleep thinking of Greg, hoping he didn't wait too long before calling again.

Later that evening, Sara walked into the break room. Greg and Nick were sitting at one of the tables talking. She got a cup of coffee and sat at a different table, trying not to listen to their conversation.

"You are never going to believe what happened to me last night!" Greg said to Nick.

"So it was a good night off?" Nick asked.

"Oohhh yeah," Greg answered. "I met this girl at the club." He got out is cell phone and showed Nick a couple of the pictures he took.

"Wow, she is hot!" Nick said, looking at the pictures.

"Hot and smart. She works for the FBI," Greg offered.

"What's her name and does she have a sister?" Nick inquired.

"Her name is Alex," Greg said, taking back his phone. "And as far as I know she is an only child."

Something clicked for Sara when she heard "FBI" and "Alex." "Can I see the pictures?" She asked Greg, moving to where he was.

"Why Sara," he joked, "I never knew you were like that."

"Ha, ha," she said flatly, rolling her eyes. _ It is her,_ she said looking at the pictures. "You should show Grissom, I bet he'd like them."

"I bet Grissom would like what?" Grissom said, coming into the break room.

"The girl Greg met last night," Sara said, turning around to look at Grissom.

Greg offered Grissom the phone, "You want to see?"


	11. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 11

Grissom was on the clock and he was all business, so when Greg offered Grissom the phone he declined, "Can't. It's a busy night."

"Grissom," Sara spoke up. "You really need to see the pictures. Her name is _Alex_. She's an _FBI agent_."

Grissom looked at Sara, a question on his face. She nodded slowly. A look of understanding slowly came over him. Nick and Greg were totally lost in this silent exchange.

"Sara, Nick, we just got a call about a d.b. on the Strip. You guys need to get there ASAP."

Sara understood. "Come on Nick, let's roll," Sara said and they headed out.

"Greg," Grissom said. "We need to talk."

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Alex's cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID before she answered. It was Greg.

"To what do I owe this honor?" She answered the phone, smiling to herself.

"How could you not tell me?" Greg sounded upset.

"Excuse me?" Alex was taken by surprise.

"How could you not tell me that Grissom was your father?"

_Shit!_ She thought. This wasn't quite the reaction she thought he'd have. She figured he might be upset, but not like this. _How did he find out? _She wondered.

"Because," she started to explain, "I didn't even know that it mattered until I found out where you worked. And even then, I wasn't sure were this thing between you and I was going. I'm still not sure."

"Well it does matter." Greg spit out. His anger was evident in his voice. "Grissom is my supervisor. And so _this_ is going nowhere."

"And so we can't be friends?" Alex was trying to calm him down. She didn't want this to be the end of it. She really liked Greg.

"Not right now," Greg said and then hung up the phone. His hands were shaking and he knew he had sounded angrier than he intended. He wasn't really upset with her, just the whole situation.

Grissom hadn't made any ultimatums. He didn't even allude to any negative consequences. He only explained the situation; that he was just getting to know her himself. As Grissom said, she was an adult and he couldn't control or dictate her actions. Although biologically he was her father, he wasn't her dad.

Greg knew things had to stop where they were. He knew she was a girl he could get serious about and quick. He hadn't met anyone like her in a long time. But he felt betrayed, like she didn't trust him. That's why he was so angry. This, coupled with the fact that she would need time with Grissom led him to believe that it wouldn't work out for them. At least not right now. She needed to work things out with Grissom first.

Alex just sat there for a moment with her phone to her ear. She was unprepared for what she had just heard. She had to use all her might to fight back the tears. _This is ridiculous, _she chastised herself, putting her phone away. _You've only known him for a day! _But she knew it was a day she'd remember for a long time.


	12. The End

Chapter 12

The day seemed like déjà vu to Alex. She hadn't slept much the night before. She tried to stay preoccupied. And she still arrived 15 minutes early for lunch. When she got to the diner she even chose the same booth as before.

_Please let him show, _she silently prayed. She wasn't upset at him for what happened with Greg. It was Greg's choice to end it before it began. She couldn't blame Greg either. It was an awkward position to be in.

Even the waitress was the same. "What can I get for you?"

"Diet soda and a second menu," she said sheepishly, giving a weak smile.

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Grissom had his own apprehensions that day. He knew that he was doing what he wanted, but he wasn't sure if it was what was best. He didn't know what Alexandria wanted from him and he didn't know if he'd be able to give it to her. He knew next to nothing about this girl, but according to Greg, she was great.

_Greg,_ Grissom thought. He hadn't given Greg any orders when it came to Alexandria. He didn't feel it was his place. Granted, it might make their working environment a little bit odd, but they were adults. And she could do a lot worse than Greg.

He grabbed the ring off the table and slipped it in his pocket. Then he got on his way to meet his daughter.

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At one the waitress came by. "You ready to order?"

Alex sighed. "Not yet."

"Hon, it's not really my place to say, but you're much too young to be spending your life here waiting on somebody that doesn't show," the waitress offered.

Alex was just about to agree, when the bell signaling someone entering rang. She looked up and her heart skipped a beat. It was him.

"I'm not waiting anymore," Alex smiled and waved Grissom over.

The waitress looked at Grissom. "He's not bad. A little old for you, though, isn't it?"

Alex laughed. "He's my father."

"Then I guess he's just about the right age," the waitress said and walked away as Grissom walked up.

"Mr. Grissom," Alex said, a goofy grin on her face. "I'm so glad you could make it!" She extended her hand to him.

"Please, call me Gil," he replied, shaking her hand firmly. "It's good to finally meet you, too, Alexandria."

"Please, call _me_ Alex. No one's called me Alexandria since I was 10. Unless of course I was in trouble, then it was the full name. Alexandria Gillian Hart!" She mimicked an adult scolding a child. The she burst out, "Well, duh!"

Alex noticed the look of confusion on Grissom's face. "Gillian," she said. "With a 'G.' Like a female version of Gil. My mother was sneaky!"

Grissom nodded and smiled, a rare occasion for him. Olivia hadn't forgotten him. Alex reminded him so much of her mother. He was glad he had decided to come and didn't get delayed this time.

An awkward silence ensued. Neither one really knew how to start. Finally it was the waitress who broke the silence. "You two ready to order?"

After both gave their order to the waitress, Alex decided to start. "What can you tell me about my mother?"

Grissom was silent for a moment. Of all of the things he thought she might want to discuss, her mother hadn't even crossed his mind. "Well, it was a long time ago," was all he could think to say.

"I'm sorry, I know," Alex replied. "The only things I know about her are the things my grandmother shared with me. I just thought you might be able to tell me a little more, since you knew her in a different way."

"She was beautiful," he started. "You look so much like her."

Alex blushed. "My grandmother always said I looked like her, but I never saw it."

He continued, "And very smart. Very energetic. She was a very special person."

She smiled, hearing about her mother always made her smile.

"Tell me about you," Grissom said, trying to get off the subject of Olivia, a subject he wasn't comfortable with.

Alex started by talking about her childhood, which wasn't all that bad. Her grandmother was very loving but firm. She talked about her love of science, but her grandmother wanted her to be a businesswoman. So she double-majored in college. Maybe someday she might go back to college but for right now she was really enjoying her time with the Bureau.

She asked him about his work. He told her about some of his interesting cases with the crime lab, which to him was almost all of his cases. He talked about the people he worked with, how they were like a dysfunctional family.

Alex went on to talk about how she found out about him. Her grandmother had raised her to believe both of her parents were dead, but then her grandmother died. Alex inherited all of her grandmother and mother's things. In going through some of her mother's books she found the letter to Gil. She found him after some searching, and then transferred to the Las Vegas Bureau office. She's actually been in Vegas for almost three months before she gave him the letter.

The lunch was good, but the afternoon drew into evening and Alex had to go back to work the next day.

"I'm not going to ask for another meeting at this time," she said, surprising Grissom. "If we make plans and you don't come, I'll be disappointed. IF you say you don't ever want to see me again right now, it would break my heart. Having lunch with you was more than I ever could have hoped for. If you want to have lunch or dinner or just go see a movie sometime, give me a call and if you don't, don't."

They got up to leave and Alex leaned over and gave Grissom a hug. After a brief hesitation, Grissom returned the hug. _Human contact,_ Grissom thought.

As she turned to leave, Grissom handed her the box that contained the ring. "This is for you."

She took the box and left.

It was a good day.

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Epilogue 

When Alex got home she opened the small box. When she saw what was inside, she smiled. _He never forgot,_ she thought as a tear fell. _I might just have a family after all._


End file.
